


Capture the Flag

by jukori



Series: Madness is the only sane response [3]
Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Comfort, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Fun, Gen, Mentor/Protégé, Ridiculous, mustache - power
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-16 00:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5806798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jukori/pseuds/jukori
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the catastrophic outcome of the latest training session Robin convinced everyone to play another game to figure out who has to clean the Mountain. This time the proteges have to face their own mentors in an ultimate showdown. Seriously, how is the Mini-Bat even doing this?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New game, new luck

"Capture the what?" Superboy interrupted bluntly.

"Jeez, Supey. The Flag! Capture the Flag," Kid Flash answered a little annoyed. This discussion was taking way to long for the speedsters liking.

"May I asked what this is all about?"

KF shook his head in disbelieve. "Not you too Kaldur! Oh come on, are you guys living under a rock?" He supported his point by waving his hands dramatically up and down.

"Well, technical -," Megan started.

"It's just an expression," Wally hurried to cut in. He really needed to watch what he was saying. Why was everyone of his friends taking everything so literally?

Megan just ignored him and continued. She got rather good at that lately, Artemis must have taught her.

"Before Wally interrupted me," she semi-glared in his direction. "I was about to say that Capture the Flag is a common game among humans in which two teams try to capture a specific object, called 'the Flag', which could actually be anything," Megan answered smoothly.

Both, the members of the Justice League and the Young Justice Team, looked at her in awe.

Yes, the martian girl cheered inwardly, finally the hours of pointless Jersey-Shore-watching paid off. And Megan could have sworn that uncle J'onn just had proudly nodded at her.

"How-"

"Guys! Don't let yourself get distracted!" Artemis brought the heroes back on track.

"We are not gonna play with you Robin. Ever. Again." She crossed her arms defensive over her chest.

"Pretty pleaseeeeee~" Robin begged.

"No. No way!"

The archer could feel the boy making puppy eyes behind his shades. How she was able to do so she didn't know.

"Forget it Boy Wonder and don't you dare to make the pouty bat face on me!"

Robins sparkly eyes seemed just to increase.

This must be the opposite of the bat-glare, Artemis thought darkly. Nobody could actually see the Dark Knight glaring, but you always know when he does and it freaks you out.

"Uhrgggg." She took a step back. The stare was getting way too intense.

And then the birds bottom lip started to tremble.

"Fine! Whatever you want Boy Blunder." The protegé of Green Arrow gave finally in.

Nobody ever managed it past the pouty lips, except Alfred maybe.

"Yes, let's all play together!" Robin cheered in delight and somersaulted happily.

A creepy vibe spreaded from the little bird that screamed: If any more objections are following my head will make a 360 degree turn and shoot you with sparkly laser beams- and not the good kind, it will be the soul-crushing mind-control-type!

No one intervened.

“I feel uncomfortable. Why do I feel uncomfortable?” Aquaman whispered quietly.

Most likely because of the certain thread of death you just witnessed, Kaldur thought but didn’t dare to speak. 

After a while Clark cleared his throat slightly and said, "I should probably stay out of it...it wouldn't be fair if-"

"NO! I... err... I mean... come on Superman, we haven't spent time together in a while..." Robin had the decency to blush at his next sentence. "And I kinda miss it." Dick was staring at his feet. "And after all we have Super Boy!" He finished in a rush.

Clark laughed fondly at the antics of the little acrobat and ruffled his hair affectionately. He did know Dick for almost five years and for him the boy was like family. Like the little nephew he never had.

"I would love to spend more time with you too." He admits.

"Does that mean yes? Thanks!" Robin beamed. There was a barely audible hint of relief in his voice.

Bruce rolled his eyes at the display of affection between his protegé and the Man of Steel. And the Boy of Steel seemed also not amused with the development of the whole situation.

"Thought, you might wanna explain the rules for everyone first." Superman smiled.

"Sure!"


	2. Mentors vs Proteges

"It's basically what Miss M said. There are normally two teams. Each has a 'Flag', that's located at the team's 'Base'. The object is to capture the other team's 'Flag' and bring it safely back to their own 'Base'. This is the hardest part though, cause the enemy's can 'Tag' you in their home territory, these players are then, depending on the agreed rules, out of the game, members of the opposite team, sent back to their own territory, frozen in place until freed by a member of their own team, or 'in jail'," Robin explained.

"It's super easy," KF added pseudo-helpful. He started to get really excited over this.

"And fun," the Boy Wonder continued as he noticed the equally uncertain expressions from aliens and fish-men alike. Conner kept a straight face, like most of the time and Robin already missed the mustache on him.

"This time I wanna be on Rob's side!" KF announced all of sudden.

"Me too," Artemis cut in, not sure if her nerves could handle one more game against the mini bat. The thought alone made her shiver.

"If Artemis is on your team, then I want to be too!" Megan declared. She still felt slightly guilty about leaving the archer behind, besides she also was ready for some kick-ass girl power. And if anybody noticed Superboy scooting over a little closer to the Martian's niece, nobody mentioned it.

"So, how about mentors vs proteges?" Black Canary suggested. This could be another good team-building exercise, she thought, and god knows they could used the training after today's fiasco.

"It would be very educational," J'onn agreed with Dinah and got a swift kick against his shin. _Privacy,_ her inner voice growled.

"What? We have no chance against- "

"Ya scared?" Robin teased Conner, who was about to protest.

"No," The boy of steel frowned.

"Good. So it's decided then."

"Not fair! I have no Mini-Me!" Hal objected in a whiny voice. "What should I do?"

"Grow up." Ollie snickered at BC reply. "Or stay and be the referee," she carried on. There was no way any sane person would leave the kids unsupervised ever again. On the other hand, she really didn't want to do it, and watching the game together with Wonder Women on the big screen would be way more fun.

"I thought that was your job?" Green Arrow asked, disappointed about the unexpected turn of events.

"No, thanks. I am so out of here."

"What?"

"As long as the mountain gets clean I don't care."

With that said, she left and the bickering about more or less crucial game-details begun. Questions had to be answered and points to be made, which included phrases like:

"...for all I care they can go where the sun doesn't shine..."

"...preparation sounds good..."

"...with great power comes great responsibility..."

"...we're all are going to jail..."

"... they're gonna hide it out in the sticks..."

.

.

.

"Okay, let's recap," Robin said when they finally worked out the last kinks. "So, it's Mentors against Proteges. We're doing 'jails', Game field is on the mountain- Mentors 'base' is inside and ours is outside. No one is allowed to get over Green Lanterns sidelines," the Bird looked pointedly at the two speedsters. "And in addition, each team has 30 minutes prep-time. Everyone agree?"

The two teams nodded.

"Excellent!" Robin smiled victoriously and rubbed his hands gleefully together.

"Why do I have the feeling that we are screwed?" Clark asked into the silence.

Because you are, Batman thought.

.

.

.

"Which one?" The message showed up innocently on Robin's wrist computer.

"I take the big guy home." He replied. After a second he added, "Cause he loves me. Muhahaha." The text was accompanied by an evil grinning Robin-smiley. And yes, it had a mustache.

Bruce sighed. Maybe spending the nights beating up thugs in dark alleys wasn't that good for Dick's development after all.

Alfred had warned him.


	3. Ready?

"Okay, less talking, more action!" Kid Flash demanded with a stupidly excited grin on his lips. He was so pumped to get this thing finally started, he literally vibrated in anticipation. This promised to be a lot of fun and best of all Robin would be on his side this time. Thought, he was slowly getting restless and a restless speedster was never a good thing.

"Let's do this already! First team to capture the enemy's banner wins," he announced.

  
"We don't have one, a flag I mean," the Manhunter stated.

"Leave that to me!" Barry slyly smiled. The older hero could completely relate to his protégés upcoming frustration, after all he got easily impatient as well. With a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and an ominous looking thumbs-up, the Flash took off just to return a second later.

"Tadaaaaa!" He exclaimed proudly as he kept up his price.

In retrospect, they shouldn't have expected anything else, but well, it always amazes how painfully embarrassing one grown-up man in tights could actually be. Here he was, one of the founding members of the Justice League, standing in front of them with a tiny rainbow flag, which looked suspicious like it went with a happy meal, and one of Wally's Flash-Boxershorts.

The Dark Knight rolled his eyes in the privacy of his cowl. This was getting insane at a disturbingly short amount of time.

"The heck! Those are min-" Not a moment too soon the young speedster's brain kicked in to shut his mouth before it could get even more awkward. If that was even possible. Artemis would never let him live this down. To Wally's defense, they were a gift from Barry himself.

"I think I just threw up a little in my mouth," the Archer proclaimed in disgust at the arrival of the underwear and made some not very ladylike gagging sounds to support her opinion.

In the background, KF could hear Robin try to stifle his snickers.

"Ha-Ha how funny," KF growled. He was not amused. Not at all. Nonetheless, he snatched the item out of his Mentor's evil grip - hey they were really comfy.

"We gonna get your flag in a flash," Barry waggled his brows.

"..."

The IQ in the room just dropped two standard deviations.

Don't facepalm, don't facepalm, DON'T FACEPALM, Aqualad's inner voice yelled at him. The Atlantean stood strong. A slapping noise to his right, that sounded exactly like the interaction from face and palm would, told him that Green Lantern must have given into the urge.

"Oh gosh, I wish the ground would open and swallow me," the redhead mumbled. Where was a bottomless pit when you needed one? Seriously, why must his mentor, out of all, use world's outdated one-liners?

"As long as we don't have to touch it, I don't care", Conner shrugged, not seeing what the big deal was.

"Who would want to touch that anyway?" Artemis asked dryly.

"Hey, it's clean!"

Artemis raised a knowing eyebrow at Wally's statement, who had the courtesy to blush.

"Oh really, how do you know?" She merciless teased.

Batman pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, there was already a headache coming.

"Nothing. Forget it," a meek mutter came in reply. Poor Wally.

"Uhm, I got a question," Megan piped up. "There is still something I don't understand."

"What is it gorgeous?" Wally asked, glad for any distraction.

"About the tag rules: Aren't they a little too easy? I mean it isn't really a challenge to just 'tag' someone if you have a couple of super fast meta-humans on each team."

"Good point."

"How about you have to hold the opponent on his back for 10 seconds?" Robin suggested.

"You mean like a wrestling match?"

"Exactly."

"Nice," KF approved and high-fived his best buddy.

"Can we please start now?"


End file.
